Store Brand vs Name Brand

NormInv

As someone who is now venturing into cooking (and might I say, loving it), I have started paying more attention to what I am buying, and the price tag.

One decision that I am now faced with is whether to buy store brand or name brand ingredients for my home cooked meals. I can get pretty good deals on store brand ingredients. In the past I just always considered them inferior and stayed away, but am wondering if I am missing out.

ConsumerReports.org reports that you can save up to 25% by buying store brand. However in taste tests, store brands won once, name brands 8 times, and they tied 10 times.

What do you guys think?

VeeBethTris

I'm not sure what range of foods you are meaning when you are talking store brands vs name brands but I shop at Kroger and for the most part I purchase their store brands.

mcsweetly

I use store brands all the time. I am a dieting coupon girl and can save a lot of money and still lose that way. I also shop at Kroger a lot and have found their store brands to be fine!

Good Luck!

shellma00

In my experience it is all trial and error. Some Store Brands are comparable to the Name Brands. Some Name Brands are far better tasting than the Store Brands. For instance, I only use Campbells Cream soups when I am making a casserole or something similar because they have the Healthy Request or Lower Sodium versions, AND the Store Brands do not taste near as good. But I will buy the Store brands of pasta, canned veggies, frozen veggies.... things like that. So it does not hurt to try and see if you like the Store Brands before forking out the extra $$ for the Name Brands.

MommaRoseFitness

Simply Truth brand of Krogers is amazing!

NormInv

I'm not sure what range of foods you are meaning when you are talking store brands vs name brands but I shop at Kroger and for the most part I purchase their store brands.

My store has their version of everything - beans, nuts, butter, cheese, broth, chicken etc.

bdburch

For the most part, I purchase store brand. There are a few things that I refuse to buy store brand (like candies or chips) but for the most part, I go with generics. Rice, milk, and frozen vegetables taste no different and can save me a LOT of money.

JeneticTraining

It depends.
I compare nutrition facts and the ingredient list.
I tend to go store brand for whole wheat pasta

JGainingHealth

Store brand - another vote for Kroger

josyk7

I mainly buy store brand but there are times that name brand is cheaper and I buy that.

CollegiateGrief

It just depends on the item. Try picking up some store brand and see if you like them. Frozen veggies, as someone else mentioned, are a good thing to buy store brand. I bought the walmart store brand Pop Tarts once though and they were HORRID. So that's really my only tip. Stay away from fake Pop Tarts.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

Hmmm. Chicken tastes like.....Chicken! Beef, though, doesn't. If you cook both with Bacon....EVERYTHING tastes like BACON! WIN!

Hey look, there's your answer. Just cook everything with BACON!


Seriously, If you are doing real cooking, it's all about the spices.

mbouf94

I compare labels, not price. If the store brand is the healthier version, that is what I purchase. I have purchased a lot of "no name" or store brand varieties that are the exact same thing as the name brand version.

Most of the store brands you see are actually made in the same plant/place as the name brand products but they're sold cheaper as the 'no name' brand.

A lot of grocery stores offer point cards and you can gain more points by purchasing the store brands, plus you can usually get more in-store coupons and deals for store brands than the name brands.

carrietehbear

Kroger has some great store brand stuff! I buy store brand on a lot of stuff but I also do a lot of label reading.

jmadams111

We use a lot of store brand from both Kroger and Walmart; We typically only default to name brand if the store brand proves inferior, and that does happen from time to time, but its worth trying.

girlfromOklahoma

I think it really depends on the item. Like some others before me said, trial and error is best. There are some items that I wouldn't dare buy the store brand and other items where I can taste no difference. Another thing to look at is nutrition. Sometimes the name brands will offer a lower calorie, lower fat, or lower sodium version that the store brand doens't offer. Most of the time I'll pay the extra money for the item if it's lower in calories.

khall86790

I have pretty much always bought store brands and then added in flavouring (pepper, lea & perrins, etc.) to taste.
But I've always been pretty poor and even when I could afford store brands, it's not ingrained into me to be able to pay more money for something I can get cheaper.

tequila09

i usually buy store brand. though i always get daisy brand light sour cream. i've tried the vons/safeway store brand lucerne light sour cream and it was not the same. but for the most part store brands are pretty good.

alychil820

I do nearly all of my shopping at trader joe's, and there are very few brands there besides the store brand. I love it, and don't taste a difference.

I'd rather save money, and if the taste isn't quite as good, you can always add some fresh herbs.

But I'll only ever buy q-tips. SNOB.

Hellbent_Heidi

As others said, it really depends on the item. Some things just are NOT as good in the store brand...you'll have to try them and see which items those are for you though.

We buy store brand on a lot of things, but stick to name brand cheese always!

Linli_Anne

Read the labels in the store and see if there are "extras" in any of the goods.

I have learned through friends who work in the purchasing area for grocers, that often store brands are made by the name brand companies, but it will sometimes be slightly tweaked for cost etc.

I will often by store brand if the savings are significant and i'm not being pumped full of chemicals....I'm talking things like frozen veggies, canned fruits and veggies, soups, dressings etc.

alychil820

The BEST name brand is Wegman's. I miss that store!

CherokeeBabe

I shop mainly at publix and I test their store brand stuff all the time. Through trial and error I'd say I buy about 60%+ store brand items now overall. Frozen veggies, dry pasta, jar sauces, dry beans, canned items like beans and tuna, low-sodium bacon, egg beaters, sour cream/cream cheese, etc. I go back and forth, depending on price, quality and nutrition info and get whichever version fits my needs the best. Some items don't have a store-brand-alternative of course. If you're willing to test things, you'll find the level you want to be at.

sallydurkin

I also find it hit and miss, butter, i have no problem buying store brand, but frozen veg I have found something off a little about some no name brand unless I am shopping costco... love anything kirkland brand and if I didn't I would return for a full refund.... now cheese I don't like most store brands for eating but for melting, baking I have no problem as there is more flavors in there to mask.... cereals I do generally only buy brand name again unless I am cooking with it. my kids will not eat non- brand name they have tried others but found its not what they know (they only get cereal on weekends so its an indulgence I allow).... and that is the key if you are use to only brand name you may not like store brand the first or second time..... I like another said will try store brand to save and if I don't like it won't buy it again.

as it is I have been told that most store brand are made by one of the big manufacturing companies anyways but they many not be useing top quality, seconds.... in some case it makes no difference others it does.... I remember that from working at a grocery store once.

lornz88

If you are in UK, we have recently found out, Beef is not always Beef.. And store brands are mainly the culprit.. In some cases up to 75% horse meat found in a "beef" product!

stines72

store brands are often very close to the same thing, sometimes even manufactured by the brand name company lol

rides4sanity

If ingredients are similar, or better (it happens), give it a try. If you like it stick with it, if not go back to name brand. For me, items I tend to use as base ingredients (veggies, tomato sauce, etc) and plan to add my own seasoning, store brands work fine. For things that I don't plan to mess with much (cheese, yogurt, etc) my family has its favorite brands. It all depends on your taste.

On a side note, you might want to check you positioning on your spin bike. Your leg should have a slight bend at the bottom of the stroke. If the picture was just taken for the sake of taking a picture and not while you were riding, ignore this...

auddii

Love store brands, but they aren't all made equal. Case in point, Kroger has several store brands: one in a red white and blue package which is really really cheap, normal kroger brand, premium selection, and simply truth which is organic. I was looking at two horseradish mustards, one normal kroger brand and the other the premium selection. Strangely, the "expensive" store brand used HFCS and had about 20 ingredients, and the cheaper "regular" kroger brand listed 3 ingerdients. I went with that one...

liftingcoach

it pretty much depends on the item you are buying. Most of the major stores, such as Publix, Costco, Sams etc., get their store brands from brand name manufacturers. They just put a private label on it. Sometimes the private label specifications are not as exacting as the brand name item, sometimes it is exactly the same. Trial and error is the best way to find out the quality of a product. As an example, I find all of the Kirkland brand from Costco, to be same spec, and right up to par with most of the brand name products out there. Walmart can be hit and miss because I think they strive to be the cheapest rather than high quality.

tararocks

depends on the item and individual taste buds i think...i am very partial to a certain name brand canned vegetable, i do not like any others really, but i will buy store brand frozen. store brand pasta easy decision, store brand cereal for the kiddie pies, yep, store brand cheese, yep...actually now that i think about it i buy a lot of store brand items, I really only buy name brand on very specific items...cheez-its!! there is nothing like an original cheez-it!

johncarocci

As others have said it depends on the store and the product. I buy store brand frozen vegetables (Tops or Wegmans) almost exclusively. They're cheaper, and I don't want the "fancy blends" or "light sauces" (though Wegmans has those options, too). Target has amazing store brand cereals, especially for you granola fans. They have flavors the name brands haven't thought of yet, and they come in clever resealable cartons. Here are my store brand favorites:

Frozen Vegetables
Frozen Grilled Chicken (Wegmans, cheaper than Tyson and lower in calories as well)
Target Cereals (cranberry vanilla granola is delicious)
Fat Free Regular Yogurt
Steamable Potatoes (Wegmans)
Salad Dressing (less variety but comparable taste and better value)
Cottage Cheese (Aldi's store brand is actually my favorite regardless of price)
Microwave Popcorn (the Walmart brand has nutritional information PER BAG instead of that "per cup popped" nonsense)

There are also items where I stick with the name brands because store brands have disappointed:
Greek Yogurt (Chobani is still king as far as I am concerned)
Soup (less selection, less quality, not much savings)

Even with recommendations you'll have to do some experimenting, but the good news is that store brands have come a long way. It has been a very long time since I've had a store brand product that was terrible (as someone else mentioned, off brand toaster pastries are evil, though Pop-Tarts aren't on my diet anymore anyway).